The Cecil Whig., 1887-05-28

But the BretGnGe could not close ner
eyes. \ feeling at once poignant and
teuder clutchea her at the heart, and
moro than ever before at any time OF ner
life she thought Of the defenseless. harm
less little creature she had ruthIessly
strangled.
This dread, remorSeful feeling lasted
until the first streak Of dawn. At break
of day La FleuriOtte and her child were
still fast locked in each others arms.
The BretOnne roiselessly crept out of
the hOvel, and making the best of her
way back to Auberive. slackened her
steps only when she reached the first
houses of the small place. She slowly
walked up the only st:eet in the village
intently gazing at The sign boards over
each shop.
At last one of these signs arrested her
attention. She knocked At the ShultterS
and the door was soon opened It was
one of those little cInutry stores where,
besides a variety of haberdashery wares,
cheap secondhand toys may be bought,
cardboard dolls. Noah g arkS and baa-
lambs. The amazement of the women
who kept the store was uDbOundcd when
she was the Bretonne buy up and pay
for the whole stock
The Bretonne was proceeding with a
joyful heart on her way back to the ho-
vel, when heavy gloved hand fell upon
her shoulder. She started, and, on turn
ing round. shuddered TO find herself face
to face with a corporal Of gendarmes.
The wretched woman had forgotten
that all liberated cOuvicts were forbidden
t,, in, b, ,n+p Of kn al
House of Deteution.
"lustead of yagabondiZing round here,
you ought to have already reached Lam
gres, said the military man in 4 gruf
voice. Come, be Of,
She wanted to explain, but it was of
no use. \ cart was put into requisition; :;
she had to get up into it, and away went
the horses, under escort of one of the
gendarmes.
The cart iDlted mercilcssly alopg the
frozen road. The poor B.etonrc, with q
half broken healt, clutcbsd her little
parcel of play things in her benum6ed
fingers. Soon, ut Il turn in the road, she
discovered the path which entered the
wood.
Her heart leaped, and she besought the
gendarme to stop for minute. She had
IA commission, she said, for La Fleuriotte,
a woman who lived there, close br. She
beSought with such an earnestness of
manner and feeling, that the gendarme,
who, allowed himself to be swayed by
her entreaties.
The cart was stopped, the horse was
tied to a tree, the gendarme and his
prisoner got down and they went up the
path that led to the hovel in the wood
La F.euriotte was busy choppipg wood
in front of her door When she looked
up and caught sight OF the woman whom
she had housed on the previous evening
in the hands of a gendarme she stood
with mouth wide wide open, like one pet
rifisd.
Hush calculated the Bretonne, as
she put her finger to lips. lis the little
one still asleep?'
"GeS; but
Garry these toys softly to her bedside
and tell tell her that Sainte Catherine
sent them TO her | went back to Auhe-
rive to fetch them, but 1t seems had no
right to do So, and | am being taken on
to Langres.n
"EIoiy mother of Cod exclaimed La
Fleuriotte
"HuSh,'
They all drew near near the bed where
the child lay.
The Bretonne took the cardboard dolls
Noah's arks and baa-lambs, scattered
them gently over the cOverlet, kissed the
thin. naked arm OF the yet slumbering
child, and then, turning towards the gend-
arme, who quickly brushed tear from
his eye, quietly said:
can pJlr wlV -
ANDRE THEURIET.